Mobile Cameras - what are the guidlelines?
Mobile Cameras - what are the guidlelines?
Author
Discussion

Broccers

Original Poster:

3,237 posts

275 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
I did a quick search but drew a blank. Having spotted a camera pointing down at my car on the outside lane of a straight bit of M1 earlier I was wondering how legal this cash collecting really is?

I would say theres never been any accidents near the north bound bridge near J41 M1. It just so happens its the end of the month and by my reckoning their sales figures need a boost. The last time I was caught speeding was for 84, again on the M1, but on a clear Sunday evening. I was a statistic then too, apparently.

Its about time we did something about this disgrace .....

puggit

49,422 posts

270 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
There are guidelines, but they are exactly that - guidelines.

In essence they can park a Talivan wherever they like - and they will therefore choose spots where it is safe to speed to get the most income.

count duckula

1,324 posts

296 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
puggit said:

In essence they can park a Talivan wherever they like - and they will therefore choose spots where it is safe to speed to get the most income.


Thats pretty much how I understand them as well.


Malc

Broccers

Original Poster:

3,237 posts

275 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
Thanks guys.

So basically they can go where they can generate most income without a care ?

Fantastic.

gh0st

4,693 posts

280 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
They can.

Which is why I have an "income jammer" fitted on car and bike.

May want to consider getting one as its only going to get worse...

streaky

19,311 posts

271 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
If you want to know the guidelines ... you will have to go to the House of Commons library. Apparently, they only appear in a DfT document therein.

Public domain? My 4r5e!

Streaky

will crash

202 posts

272 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
Just for the record mobile camera vans can only goto sites that have had 4 or more KSI`s in the preceeding 36 months. We cannot go to sites that have a speed problem but no record of KSI`s.
The sites that my camera unit operate are ones which have been identified by Traffic Patrol officers as ones needing enforcing, analysis of the KSI figures backs this up.
We do not/have not/will not just go to sites to rake in money.
We always operate in highly visible vans,using both Laser and Mobile Gatso.
Today I parked in a layby on the Westbound A40 opposite the Hoover Building, set the Laser up and was not targetting motorists unitl they were within 50 metres. Hence if they had forward vision they would have seen me and slowed down. The threshold speed for the camera was into the fifties in a 40 limit....

dazren

22,612 posts

283 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
Will, I've read somewhere that 15% of cameras can now be positioned on roads without the relevant 4 KSI over the timescale. Your police force may choose not to take up the 15% location "easy money" and should be applauded for their approach. However there are scamera partnerships out there that are taking the easy money option.

DAZ

puggit

49,422 posts

270 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
Will, we've read in the Evening Standard that the Chief Constable of the Met promised to remove wrongly sited cameras.

So maybe London is following the guidelines, but plenty are not!

will crash

202 posts

272 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
We are definately following the guidelines and I want people to know that. It does make me rather upset that other camera partnerships are not. This achieves nothing and only alienates the Police from the public...it has to stop.

cuneus

5,963 posts

264 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
"Just for the record mobile camera vans can only goto sites that have had 4 or more KSI`s in the preceeding 36 months."

Sorry this is just wrong. The guidleines themselves have a 15% "allowance" for sites that fall outside these criteria (confirmed in email from DFT as well)

will crash

202 posts

272 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
cuneus said:
"Just for the record mobile camera vans can only goto sites that have had 4 or more KSI`s in the preceeding 36 months."

Sorry this is just wrong. The guidleines themselves have a 15% "allowance" for sites that fall outside these criteria (confirmed in email from DFT as well)


No we only goto sites that have had 4 KSI`s in the preceeding 36 months fact. I am aware of this as I check all the mobile sites accident figures before submitting them for approval.
We have binned a huge amount of sites that no longer fall within these guidelines and that includes fixed cameras as well. Pop into the office for a chat if you wish.

cuneus

5,963 posts

264 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
Good for you sadly a lot of others do not and they also place Gatso where there are NO accidents (Batheaston bypass for example)

tootler

89 posts

262 months

Monday 26th April 2004
quotequote all
There are quite specific guidelines as stated in this thread. How these are enforced varies from police force to force.

In some forces, on routes designated as camera routes and suitably signposted, the camera vans do not site themselves in the vicnity of accident spots instead they deliberately site themselves somewhere on the route, unobtrusively in a place where they can catch as many motorists as possible.

Other forces, as evidenced here, take a more responsible approach. Also there is pressure now on all forces to behave properly when making these enforcements since the public have become well and truly fed up with cameras and there is mounting criticism of the extent of their use.

Also here are quite stringent guidelines as to how the income generated is spent (on road safety). The problem is that many forces have generated immense sums of revenue in excess of their ability to spend it on the latest high tech equipment to catch even more unsuspecting motorists, hence there will likely be attempts to move the goalposts in order to use this money elsewhere.

Some forces have tested infra red continental mobile camera systems that can catch motorists anywhere day or night.



>> Edited by tootler on Tuesday 27th April 10:21